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In some ways, this film is The Passion redux in its allegorical imagery. Peter Parker goes through his own Gethsemane: Does he really want to go through all the suffering to be a savior? There's even a "demon" (a doctor dressed in white) who tempts Peter to give it up and just be a regular guy, and a "ministering angel" (Luke 22:43) who shows up as gawky girl next door with milk and chocolate cake. But the most stunning allegorical image comes when Spidey saves a runaway train, arms outstretched in a crucified position, holes in his wrists and a wound in his side. When the train stops, Spidey's head drops, chin to chest, lifeless. Witnesses carry his prone body over their heads, into the train (a tomb?), and place him gently on the floor. "Is he dead?" someone asks. Then Peter wakes up—"resurrected"—with more lives to save and an 8-legged demon (aka Doctor Octopus) to defeat.

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Few things win our sympathies like the sight of a young, abandoned animal. The Story of the Weeping Camel was made by some National Geographic filmmakers who journeyed into the Gobi Desert and stayed with a family that clings to the traditional ways of raising livestock. We are drawn into their family intimacy, their strange cultural rituals and rhythms, their laughter, and their dreams. And when one of their camels gives birth and immediately rejects the baby, we feel their anxiety as they try to change the mother's stubborn mind. While some of this story was orchestrated by the filmmakers, the central idea was to capture a ritual that will astound you—a practice for healing the rift between these animals that is as mysterious as it is beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you how it ends. You'll encounter a metaphor that suggests the power of beauty and art to reorient us toward peace, love, and proper relationship. There was no more compelling picture of reconciliation on the screen all year.

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Revenge. It's a popular theme in movies year after year. We love to see those who have been wronged settle a score. But Christ has called us to a different response. This film, which features a performance by the Reverend T. D. Jakes, is based on experiences the minister has had in counseling imprisoned women. It tells the story of a young woman who was grievously wronged many times over. But when her retaliation—an act that viewers will understand and sympathize with—lands her in prison, Reverend Jakes has the opportunity to help her find what has been missing from her life. Kimberley Elise gives a memorable performance as a soul drowning in misery, loneliness, and despair. And the film, which refuses to gloss over troubling, R-rated realities, highlights some hard but essential truth. As "Christian movies" go, this one is a step in the right direction. With strong performances, impressive production values, and an inventive screenplay, it shows more than it tells, and that makes all the difference.

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Our first annual Critics' Choice Awards pick the Top 10 Films of 2004—a list that somewhat resembles others in the mainstream, with a few surprises thrown in.

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Readers Pick Passion	Printer view
In our first annual Readers' Choice Awards, The Passion of The Christ finished way ahead of the pack as the No. 1 movie of the year.